Thursday, September 5, 2013

Watch Dog

It's funny, the things in life you don't account for. Like the feelings and unconditional love of a Girl's Best Friend ... which I always thought were diamonds, since I am an April baby- it being my birthstone and all. But a Girl's Best Friend is her Beagle. Unrequited, unrivaled, and unreal.

For the past five-plus years, The Beagle has always seen the Lil' Dude leaving with her parents, safely buckled in as the kennel door closes and garage door comes down. There was peace with that I assume; and on the rare days or weeks where the adults returned home sans girl, there was plenty of looking and sniffing for her, a general discontentment settled at the top of the stairs until that tiny human of his returned.

Yesterday, day two of kindergarten was very, very unsettling for The Beagle. In Tuesday's flurry of activity, I guess we just didn't notice- we both left the house and locked him up after the school bus headed past. Yesterday, he witnessed the whole damn thing- how that giant, yellow monstrosity swallowed up this tiny human just as the sun was rising.

And this is where her beloved watch dog perched for the day- from 7am until 2:30pm - in the hot, hot sun, eyes glued to the corner where it all went down. That in dog years, is like, 14 days or some nonsense. But I couldn't get him to budge a damn inch.

(And all those hot tears I was so proud not to spill Tuesday pour, pour, poured down my face yesterday as I tried to assure the little beast she would come back)

Their reunion at the end of the long day was Hallmark Channel-esque. They both deserved Grammy's or Oscar's or both.

Today, he was much better. He insisted on being leashed to go with to retrieve her at the bus stop, and I happily obliged. Have you ever seen a bus full of weary, droopy kids not perk up at the sight of a ridiculously and genuinely excited dog waiting for its owner? It was magical and I should have charged admission.

Yes, he was much better today, having lived through yesterday knowing that big, bad bus did in fact return his favorite human to her rightful place. And as I am wont to do, again and again, I shared my favorite new anthem with my firstborn furbaby about this whole new season we're in with our best girl and doing the best we can.

Let Her Go
By Passenger

Well you only need the light when it's burning lowOnly miss the sun when it starts to snowOnly know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling lowOnly hate the road when you’re missin' homeOnly know you love her when you let her goAnd you let her go

Staring at the bottom of your glassHoping one day you'll make a dream lastBut dreams come slow and they go so fast

You see her when you close your eyesMaybe one day you'll understand whyEverything you touch surely dies

But you only need the light when it's burning lowOnly miss the sun when it starts to snowOnly know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling lowOnly hate the road when you're missin' homeOnly know you love her when you let her go

Staring at the ceiling in the darkSame old empty feeling in your heart'Cause love comes slow and it goes so fast

Well you see her when you fall asleepBut never to touch and never to keep'Cause you loved her too muchAnd you dived too deep

Well you only need the light when it's burning lowOnly miss the sun when it starts to snowOnly know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling lowOnly hate the road when you're missin' homeOnly know you love her when you let her go

And you let her go (oh, oh, ooh, oh no)And you let her go (oh, oh, ooh, oh no)Will you let her go?

'Cause you only need the light when it's burning lowOnly miss the sun when it starts to snowOnly know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling lowOnly hate the road when you're missin' homeOnly know you love her when you let her go

'Cause you only need the light when it's burning lowOnly miss the sun when it starts to snowOnly know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling lowOnly hate the road when you're missin' homeOnly know you love her when you let her go

The Lil' Dude

A seven-year-old dynamo who never meets a stranger, nor cardboard box she doesn't love. Craves sleep, CheezIts, art, her people, making a difference, and singing her heart out. She's better than anything on any Starbucks menu.

That's What She Said

"I am enough. I am full of sparkle & compassion. I genuinely want to make the world a better place. I love hard. I practice kindness. I'm not afraid of the truth. I am loyal, adventurous, supportive, & surprising. I am a woman. I am enough. I make mistakes, but I own them & learn from them. Sometimes I make a lot of mistakes." -Molly Mahar